There are many things you can do to market your small business on a budget.

First, make sure your website is responsive for mobile devices. A responsive site resizes to the device that is viewing the website so it is easy to read on any screen. Also make sure your website is up to date with the latest news, products/services and events.

Do you have an email list of your customers? Start sending a monthly email newsletter using a free email service provider like Mailchimp. Add the monthly article to a blog on your website.

Ask your customers for testimonials and case studies. Write up a case study and put it on your website. Send a pitch to relevant media or trade publications about the case study and how you solved a business' problem.

Set up profiles on social media sites where your customers visit and engage with the community. Search for keywords in your industry and listen for people searching for your type of product/solution. Be helpful, not salesy.

If you don't have time to do these things, hire a marketing contractor. A contractor can help you define a strategy and then set out to make it happen. Contact me today to help you get started.

Social media is a wonderful resource for small businesses looking to connect with present and future customers. Many networks and tools are free.

The key is to find the time and resources to make your social networks effective.

Social media can connect you with customers in many ways - you can provide customer service, get market research, position yourself as an expert source and much more.

Here are a few networks that small businesses can use:

Twitter is a conversation with people around the world and hashtags connect people by topics. Twitter chats are a great way to network on specific topics/industries.

Facebook pages help businesses share information to fans. Although it has become more pay to play, you can highly target customers based on many demographics and reach them for a $5.00 boosted post. It is still one of the best targeted ways to reach new prospects.

LinkedIn is a business network - be sure your business has a page and that your profile is fully complete. Join a few industry groups and be sure to add value when you share information.

Instagram is a photo-based network - if you have anything visual to share about your business that helps tell your story, this is the ideal network.

The problem with small businesses is that they don't typically have a marketing department to focus on messaging and social media. A marketing contractor can help you create messaging to tell your business story and share it through proper channels including social media. Although networks may be free, it takes time, money and resources to create a steady social media strategy.

​If you are on a budget, then setting up a schedule where you are emailing customers and prospects with an informative article in a newsletter each month and communicating this on social networks is a great starting point.

​Adding content to your website in the form of a blog improves how your website ranks on search engines. You also set up a steady stream of content in which you can share to the media as well as on social channels.

​Learn how I can help you build your business through marketing and social media today. Contact me for a consultation.

What are your marketing goals for 2016? We are halfway through the year - have you stepped back and looked at your marketing strategy lately? Is your business achieving what you set out to accomplish this year?

Take a look at what has been working and what hasn't in your business. How are sales? Do you need a jump start with your marketing? Has it fallen through the cracks even though you have good intentions?

There are lots of things you can do to step up your marketing game during the slower days of summer. You can organize and clean up your database and marketing list. Refresh and renew your newsletter and update your website to make sure your news is current. Have you reached out to your local media lately? Sharing news and becoming an expert source is a valuable relationship that can last a long time.

Whatever help you may need in marketing, public relations or social media for your small business, contact me to get going and start building your business and meeting your goals today.

There are many things you can be doing to market your business locally, regionally and nationally depending on your target audience. If you are too busy to take these tasks on, don't be afraid to outsource to someone for marketing help.

Even if it is a small step like outsourcing your email newsletter marketing and social media strategy. Making sure your website is up to date with news and even a blog.

Hiring a marketing consultant can ensure that someone is focused on getting the word out on your business while you make sure the company keeps going.

Many small businesses don't have a marketing department or personnel and the owner typically takes on the marketing responsibilities. Then it gets lost in the shuffle and things start to fall through the cracks. Contact me for help to build your small business brand today!

Spring is a good time to do some cleaning in your marketing and PR for your small business. Here are a few tips to make sure your small business marketing engine is running smoothly.

Website - is your home page easy to read? Can someone tell who you are, what you do and what your target market is in 3-5 seconds? Do you have white space on your pages? If you have a lot of copy, try to shorten it and use bullet points.

Socia media profiles - is your description updated on each account? Is each profile fully completed? Did you use your top keywords in them?

Customer list - are you up to date with your database? Are you communication regularly with your customers? Have you asked for testimonials lately?

Local media - have you created a media list? Are you communicating news about your business, employees and events? Be helpful, become a source for your industry with local, regional media.

Blog - a blog is a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field. Have employees write insights from each department. Come up with a FAQ list and write a post on each question.

There's lots to do to make sure your first impression for your future customer is top notch. If you need freelance marketing & PR help, feel free to contact me today.

The holidays will be here in a few short weeks. Shoppers have begun some form of holiday shopping since Halloween. Is your small business ready?

Here are a few things to check for your holiday marketing plan.

Website - is your website optimized? Do you know what keywords visitors are searching for when they find your site? Is your website formatted for mobile devices? The number of shoppers using mobile devices for shopping is on the rise.

Email marketing - reward your customers with special VIP customer promotions for the holidays. Make them feel special. Be sure to contact customers with a monthly email - short, sweet and to the point.

Customer service - what do you offer your customers that sets you apart from the rest? Free shipping? Free gift wrap? Personal shopping? Make sure your customers know they come first to you always.

Partnerships - are there other local businesses that have complementary products or services? Can you partner for a promotion?

Community - are you giving back this holiday season? Be sure to promote your cause locally and encourage customers to get in the holiday spirit donate or volunteer to any charity of their choice.

​There are many things you can be doing for the holiday rush. Be sure to plan out your strategy!

Marketing is a key driver of sales and is important for your business. If you are too busy with the business you already have, you need assistance.

Marketing, public relations and social media support can be outsourced to freelance marketers or agencies, depending on your needs. Virtual marketing professionals can free you to focus on running your business on a budget.

Don't know where to start? Jason Falls created The Marketing Pricing Guide to give you an idea of whether you need an agency or whether to go the freelance or virtual route.

This marketing pricing guide gives you solid information from large agencies to marketing consultants. It not only includes an idea of pricing but also what to expect in the services that you will receive. It is an excellent guide to determine what works best for your business.

If you need a marketing consultant, public relations consultant or social media consultant, contact me today. I can help with projects as needed or a more comprehensive marketing strategy and execution.

Content marketing is growing and becoming a larger part of a company's marketing strategy. Instead of broadcasting messages out to an audience like traditional marketing, brands are bringing customers to them through inbound marketing and the use of content marketing.

Content marketing could be something as simple as creating a blog and posting information to help prospects as they conduct internet research. It is also a way to communicate news about your company and tell your story. All of your materials at your company can be produced as content marketing.

Take a look at all of your sales collateral, web site, email newsletters, presentations, press releases and all materials that you currently send to customers and prospects.

Now create bite-size pieces of information to post on the blog and share out through social channels with links back to your blog and website.